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2024 Business Leaders of the Year
Being a true business leader is much more than just understanding profits and losses, dealing with customers, creating a vibrant employee culture, or even growing your company. To be a true force in the Central Massachusetts economy, you need to understand the community your business operates in and develop ways to improve that community to the mutual benefit of its population and your bottom line. Each of the 2024 WBJ Business Leaders of the Year embody this quality and have become essential to the region’s successful function.
- WBJ Hall of Fame
- Shop Talk
- Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
Focus On Business Leaders of the YearBusiness Leaders of the Year: Youngblood uses his marijuana business to drive social change
Mica Kanner-Mascolo - Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
Focus On Business Leaders of the YearBusiness Leaders of the Year: Holmes grew his company into a trucking giant, while focusing on employees
Susan Shalhoub
- Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
Focus On Business Leaders of the YearBusiness Leaders of the Year: Coghlin leads a fourth-generation company with heart and a focus on adaptability
Sloane M. PerronCoghlin Cos. is constantly fostering the most cutting-edge technologies, but its leader, Chris Coghlin, has never lost sight of his great-grandfather’s humble beginnings and puts building relationships with both clients and employees, known as caring associates, at the forefront of his business.
- Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
Focus On Business Leaders of the YearBusiness Leaders of the Year: Askin has guided Big Brothers Big Sisters through times of great transition
Sloane M. PerronDuring her three years at Big Brothers Big Sisters, Connie Askin has overseen some major transitions for the nonprofit including a physical move from the organization’s previous Worcester location in the Denholm Building to its new home on Chestnut Street.
- Focus On Business Leaders of the Year
Focus On Business Leaders of the YearBusiness Leaders of the Year: Connell led to YMCA to set fundraising, programming records
Tracee M. HerbaughThe last 12 months have been strong for the YMCA of Central Massachusetts. Under Connell’s leadership, membership has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, even with the challenge of finding enough workers to employ in this growing organization.
- WBJ Hall of Fame
WBJ Hall of FameWBJ Hall of Fame: Despite sustained growth, McCall has kept small-firm mentality, values at AAFCPAs
AAFCPAs has undergone rapid growth since 2011, continuing as Carla McCall took over as the sole managing partner in 2020. Now with 300 employees, revenue has grown from $16 million in 2011 to $63 million in 2023.
- WBJ Hall of Fame
WBJ Hall of FameWBJ Hall of Fame: Unafraid of curveballs, Consigli builds solutions
Susan ShalhoubConstruction is a business that makes certainty out of uncertainty, says Anthony Consigli.
- WBJ Hall of Fame
WBJ Hall of FameWBJ Hall of Fame: Fletcher directs millions in giving to benefit the community
Mica Kanner-MascoloLike his father, Warner Fletcher is heavily involved in the giving community, serving as chair of three of the city’s largest grant-making foundations, helping to manage more than $370 million in assets.
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Development planned for former Table Talk Pies site, key to funding Polar Park, having difficulty raising financing
A property that is set to play a role in helping the City of Worcester pay off debt associated with the construction of Polar Park is facing delays.
Railers see bigger crowds in 2024, but attendance lags behind prior seasons as team makes playoff push
Despite the decrease, fan interest appears to be increasing as the team fights for a spot in the playoffs. The nine games the Railers have hosted so far in 2024 have seen an average turnout of 4,157 fans.
Q&A: With $108M, new West-East Rail director seeks to get long-awaited project on track
WBJ sat down with the director of the West-East Rail project to discuss what needs to happen in order to make frequent west-east service a reality.
- AdviceAdvice
101: Making better use of meeting time
Emily MicucciThe memes don’t lie: American professionals think the work week is full of too many wasted meetings.
- Advice
AdviceEmployment lessons learned in 2020 we're failing to remember
Julia Becker CollinsI’ve heard it from both sides: The managers are confused why employees are leaving over something they had to do pre-pandemic, and workers are frustrated with giving up a way to work that better fits with their lives.
- Advice
Advice8 Things I know about … Protecting your assets when your children get divorced
Katie CaloKatie Calo of Mirick O'Connell offers some advice on protecting your assets when your children get divorced.
- Opinion
OpinionA Thousand Words: Delayed Canal District housing projects
Ramón L. SandovalTwo proposed housing developments in Worcester's Canal District -- one for the former Fairway Beef site and another as the third unnamed part of the Table Talk Lofts project -- have asked for extensions due to rising economic headwinds.
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- EditorialEditorial
Editorial: Health care's problems are far beyond one greedy executive
Steward Health Care and Dr. Ralph de la Torre may be deserving of this public thrashing, but it risks overlooking the much larger issues in Massachusetts health care: COVID funding masked structural funding issues for hospitals, especially the smaller ones relying more heavily on Medicare and Mass Health to pay the bills.
- Opinion
OpinionViewpoint: Mentoring is good for your career and your soul
Connie AskinAs an employer, if you implement a mentorship program at your company, you will see significant benefits, including increased retention and decreased burnout.
- Editorial
EditorialFrom the Editor: Compassion, bravery, weed, and what makes for a Business Leader of the Year
Ulysses Youngblood was the star of the Worcester Homecoming panel, largely because he disagreed with everyone in a very constructive way.
- Movers & Shakers
Movers & ShakersMovers & Shakers for March 4, 2024
Professionals are being hired and promoted at Central Massachusetts businesses like Geisel Software, Shepherd & Goldstein, Cornerstone Bank, and Consigli Construction.
